'Grade five winded': Penrith superstar's Nathan Cleary's hilarious response to brutal Briton Nikora hit

Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary was not shy to admit the pain felt after a brutal hit from Sharks star Briton Nikora in Las Vegas.

A bone-rattling shot by Nikora left the four-time premiership-winning halfback gasping for air late in the Panthers 28-22 victory on Sunday.

The shot left Cleary down in the back of play for a brief period as he slowly returned to his feet.

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"They hurt ... nothing hurts more," Andrew Johns said on Nine.

"He's still in the horrors."

"I reckon that's taken the wind out of him... Penrith need their halfback to get the oxygen back in him," Mat Thompson added.

Penrith gained strong field position as Cleary was assisted by a trainer in the back of play.

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But the 27-year-old's time out of the action was short lived as he quickly fired back into the line to lead his team to victory.

Asked about the incident post-match, Cleary conceded that the shot was not an easy one to come back from.

"(I was) grade five winded," he laughed.

"I could not breathe. I felt like the biggest pussy, to be honest. But I eventually got back up and into it."

The hard fought victory was the first step in the Panthers quest to their fifth consecutive premiership but Cleary did not let the thrill of the Las Vegas exhibition overshadow his team's errors.

"A bit rusty but in round one I'm very happy to get a win," said Cleary.

"It's just a mad place. It was a great atmosphere, the field is awesome.

"It was a mad experience (playing in Vegas). It is just unbelievable."